Category Archives: Locales
A big shout out from Jim…
A big shout out from Jim Marino way out in Chicago. Do you remember the Broadway Movie, Colonial, Savoia. Gone but not forgotten. I alway try to get to Geno’s for a cheese steak when we get back for a visit. Ever try to explain what and how you play halfball. Not very easy. This site is great. Other games. How about war games with bottle cap/top guns. Those guns made from clothes pins, sticks and rubber bands. Lots of epic battles on the streets of South Philly.And also lots of “you’ll shoot somebody’s eye out. Although I remember a few scrapes and cuts, no eyes were ever shot out. Also when we really had no money we plaed a game called Kitten and stick. Sometimes using a 6 inch piece of hose or a 6 inch stick sharpened on both ends. The object was to hit one end of the stick and cause it to bounce in the air, then hit it while in the air. Distance made the hits or scores. All of these were great. Stay in touch. Kitty where are you?
I grew up in philly in the…
I grew up in philly in the 60’s we had a game you played by yourself or with friends it was called mimseys. You threw the ball and sang a little song. Mimseys to clapseys tworl my hands to bapseys my right hand my left hand as high as the sky as low as the sea touch my knee touch my hell touch my toe and under we go each time you threw the ball against the wall and did a trick… mimseys was just throwing and catching then you threw and clapped and then caught the ball then you threw the ball and rolled your hands and then cought the ball.for bapseys you touched both of your shoulders and then caught the ball next you threw the ball and caught in your right hand and then the left next you threw the ball as high as you could and then catch it after that you threw it the tiniest that you could and caught it. then you threw the ball and touched your knee and caught it then your heel then your toe then you threw it under your led to the wall and caught it. IF you made all this perfectly you started all over but you must clap and the new skill for every catch Ex. clap and catch in right hand then clap and catch it in your left hand. This whole game was played off the wall with a pink ball
I just found this site and…
I just found this site and it’s great.We played skully for hours on end on 189th St.in Manhattan.In between,we’d play stickball,off the point(curbball)or Johnny ride the pony.Also,I noticed someone mentioned “slugs”.We called this “Chinese” which I found out was short for Chinese handball.How about that,a bottlecap,a broomstick,and a “spaldeen” was all the equipment we needed for fun from March to November.Who needs Playstation?
I love everything fried,…
Anyone try to revive a dead…
Anyone try to revive a dead spaldeen? We tried frying and boiling them…no good! Anybody sing out “get the ball” back in the Bronx when trying to retrieve your spaldeen but you were too young to cross the street? Anybody ever hit an eggball in stickball where the spaldeen comes back at you?
Someone mentioned the game…
Love this site! I grew…
Love this site! I grew up in Astoria, very familiar with “Last Licks” and “Chips on the Ball”. The home team, or team batting in the bottom of the inning was the team who got “Last licks”. “Chips on the Ball” meant, if the ball was lost or split ( Spaldings had way of splitting at the seams) the person who hit it had to give the guy who brought the ball money to buy a new one.
Gary, I grew up in Howard…
Gary, I grew up in Howard Beach , Queens and although 12 years your senior, even “back then” we used the term ‘chips on the ball’. Which indictaed the owner of the ball expected to be re-imbumbursed or have the ball replaced by anyone who caused it be lost (sewer, roof top), or broken. And I agree with your definition of “last licks”. Don’t see why anything one of the Yankee announcers (corporate shills) say should bother you. The default is that they’re wrong. I’ve been a Yankee fan since 1956 and this is the worst crew (by far) they’ve ever had.